


carnation

by teddygirl105



Series: flower fields [4]
Category: ONF (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Character Death, Children, Flowers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, One-Sided Attraction, Original Mythology, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28976526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddygirl105/pseuds/teddygirl105
Summary: The tale of a god who gave away his heart.
Series: flower fields [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098869
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14
Collections: wjc masterpieces





	carnation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [matchamilkteawgrassjelly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/matchamilkteawgrassjelly/gifts).



> another wjc prompt thing except late bc we sort of went too long and couldn't get to jenn so here it is! she chose "write a myth about why flower petals fall" and here it is
> 
> i hope yall are aware that made myself hurt so much with this

"Why do flower petals fall, Papa?"

Hyojin looks over at his daughter, neatly tucked into bed with her plushie deer at her side. His hands are still clutching her curtains, having just drawn them for bedtime.

"Hm?"

"Y'know," She rubs at her eyes sleepily, "flowers always grow to be so pretty, but then their petals fall away anyways. What's with that?"

He lets a soft smile grow on his face, taking a seat next to her and stroking her hair gently. "Well," he starts, "there's an old tale about falling petals. It's a long one though. Do you think you can stay awake for it?"

She pouts. "I'm not a kid anymore, Papa! I can!"

Hyojin just chuckles, though there's a hint of melancholy to it. Seolhwa is only 10 years old, and yet somedays it feels like she's already in high school. He feels like her fast maturity is because of the lack of a mother figure. Sometimes he gets home late because of work to find her washing the dishes, having scrounged up dinner for herself. It hurts to watch.

"Alright then, if you say so." He waves a hand, and Seolhwa immediately shimmies over, bringing her plushie along and making enough room for Hyojin to lie down next to her, propping his head up with a hand.

"Long ago…"

* * *

_...back when the world was young, when gods still roamed the Earth, spreading their blessings around, there existed one god in particular. His name was Changyoon, the God of Flowers. He blessed the earth with his beautiful creations, from the smallest of snowdrops to the large, prosperous sunflowers. His flowers never wilted. They lived all year long, allowing people to admire their beauty at any time. _

_ And just like his creations, he too was beautiful. Many said that his beauty could rival those of the Goddess of Beauty herself. _

_ Changyoon was kind. He did not hesitate to help those in need, and many soon believed that the flowers that he gave to those that met him were blessed. In a way, the means of a lucky charm to protect them. _

_ There were many that wanted his heart. Gods and goddesses, mortals and immortals alike. And yet, he would not take a lover. Changyoon was content with his life, watching his flowers prosper with the mortals. _

_ But one day, there was a mortal who caught his eye. A simple man who lived in one of the towns, the son of a blacksmith. Despite how… normal he was, he had still managed to gain Changyoon's attention. So, he disguised himself and visited him. _

_ Jaeyoung was his name. A son who wanted to help run his father's smithy and take over once he was old enough. Good intentions all around, complete a kind smile. _

_ Changyoon fell in love. He found himself pining over Jaeyoung, thinking about him at all times. It was… a first, for him. He had never felt this way before. He didn't know how mortals loved, didn't know if it was okay for a god and a mortal to fall in love to begin with. _

_ And so, Changyoon did the only thing he knew what to do. He gave away a flower, a small carnation. But inside that carnation, he placed his heart within it. If Jaeyoung took care of the carnation, nourished it and watched it grow, then Changyoon would know that he loved him back. They had built up a strong trust already. _

_ He was handing Jaeyoung his life. And he was okay with it. _

_ At first, his flower lived. Sat on the windowsill of Jaeyoung's room for a while. Was watered every few days or so. Nothing terrible. Most of the time, Changyoon would peer in to see Jaeyoung wake up and go to sleep. _

_ However, as time passed, Changyoon began to notice that Jaeyoung was acting… distant from him. He didn't seem to laugh as much, didn't seem to talk as much. Whenever they'd part, he'd rush off as fast as he could. _

_ So one winter day, after bidding Jaeyoung farewell for the day, pretending to walk back home, Changyoon transformed back into his usual form, and watched from the carnation. _

_ Jaeyoung stepped into his room, a frown etched on his face. "Stupid boy." he spat, "When will he get the damn message?" With a frustrated growl, his gaze landed on the carnation that Changyoon had given him. He didn't hesitate in snatching it off his windowsill, throwing the pot to the ground. It shattered into pieces, dirt going everywhere. _

_ Jaeyoung grabbed the flower off of the floor, squeezing it tightly in his hand. _

_ Changyoon felt a spike of pain in his chest. _

_ The man stalked off, leaving his home and heading straight across the street to his father's smithy. The coals were still hot, much more than normal to compensate for the cold weather. Jaeyoung's father was nowhere to be seen, most likely taking a break. _

_ And with a rough hand, Jaeyoung threw the carnation right into the furnace, watching it burn. _

_ Changyoon felt the flames kiss his skin, felt the pain burst all throughout his body. He screamed, crying as his heart got burnt away, charred black and unable to be salvaged. His tears fluttered down his face, petals of all sorts of flowers. _

_ Around the world, flowers began to die. Petals began to fall, stems wilting and roots drying up. A mass phenomenon that was unexplainable. Even the ones that he had given away had begun to crumble. _

_ The people knew. They knew that something had happened, that their god had died. _

_ Changyoon crumbled away to ashes, and they were scattered across the land, whisked away by the winds. It was then, once they had rested in the dirt, did they begin to sprout anew as flowers. Limited, but still beautiful. Those that came upon them nourished and took care of them to the best of their abilities. _

_ But they were different, these flowers. When the colder weathers would set in, their petals would fall, leaving the stem and the husk of their beauty. But when spring set, bringing back warmth and ideal situations for farming, they would grow once more. Bring back their beauty, even if only for a short time before falling again. _

_ The people viewed these new flowers as the survival of a story. The tale of Changyoon, the God of Flowers, who died with his heart burned to ashes. Mothers told their children, young and curious, that the falling petals symbolized his tears, and that his death was why flowers wilted. That there was once a time in which flowers lived forever, but the cycle that they now lived was a mimic of the life of their god. _

* * *

"...And that is why flower petals fall."

Hyojin ends his tale softly, watching Seolhwa's drooping eyelids and how her mouth curls up into a smile. "Ooh." she breathes out, the smile beginning to fade. "Why would he do that, Papa? Why," She pauses to let out a long yawn, "would Jaeyoung do that?"

Hyojin shakes his head. "Maybe he didn't know about Changyoon's love. Or maybe he fell out of love."

Seolhwa reaches out, and Hyojin is quick to grab her hand. "Papa? You know… I won't ever stop loving you. Not ever." She yawns again. A few tears form in her eyes, and she blinks them away. "I don't want you to die."

A pang of hurt hits his heart. "Oh, baby." he whispers, pulling her close. He kisses the top of her head. "I won't be going away anytime soon."

"I know, but-" She sniffs, "Mama left you. You looked so sad then. So- So if I never leave you and I keep on loving you, then you'll live forever, right?"

He doesn't have the heart to tell her the truth. "Yeah. That's right." Hyojin swallows the lump in his throat. "And I'll continue to love you, so that you can live forever."

"Okay. We can live forever together." Seolhwa burrows her face in Hyojin's chest, clutching onto his shirt tightly. "Never leave me, Papa."

A tear trails down his cheek, and he holds her tight. Hyojin chokes back a sob.

"...I won't."

**Author's Note:**

> brrrrah 
> 
> [ twitter](https://twitter.com/teddygirl105)  
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/teddygirl05)


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